Inugami
is one of the executives of the Shikoku Hachijūhakki Yakō, whose real form is that of a giant dog. His head is able to separate from his body and act on its own to bite open an opponent's throat. Appearance In human form, he has brown hair and eyes and wears a plain school uniform consisting of a white shirt and blue pants and is always seen with his tongue sticking out. When he transforms, his head usually separates form his body. In full form, he looks like a giant brown wolf. Personality Due to his past, Inugami bears an intense hatred toward humans and ends up forming a grudge against Rikuo out of envy for Rikuo's friendship with human and yōkai alike. Inugami's loyalty lies strictly with Tamazuki, who was the first to accept him as someone potentially useful. He both hates and feels gratitude toward Tamazuki due to the latter's methods in awakening Inugami's yōkai power. Destroyed by Tamazuki History Inugami was originally human but, though he tried not to stand out in school, he was looked down upon and treated like trash (in the anime, he is depicted as having always been a yōkai). Eventually, Tamazuki noticed his potential as a yōkai and used lackeys to beat him repeatedly day after day to awaken his true power. When it did awaken and Inugami slaughtered his tormentors, Tamazuki offered him a place in the Shikoku Hachijūhakki Yakō, saying he would take Inugami to a new world. Prior to journeying to Ukiyoe Town, he attended school normally alongside Tamazuki and Yosuzume. Manga vs. Anime He, Tamazuki and Muchi precede the rest of the Seven Phantom Travelers and arrive in Ukiyoe Town. Soon after, he accompanies Tamazuki to greet Rikuo, sneaking up behind Kana and startling her by licking her face. Manga After Sodemogi-sama's defeat, he begs Tamazuki to let him kill Rikuo and ends up infiltrating Ukiyoe Middle School for that very purpose. During the student council elections assembly, he attacks Rikuo, only to discover that it was Kubinashi in disguise. Undeterred, he knocks out several of Rikuo's guards and ends up facing Rikuo's "night" form when the room's lights are completely shut off. He is eventually immobilized by Yuki Onna and Kubinashi, and Rikuo deals the final blow. The attack, however, isn't enough to kill Inugami but rather reverts him to his human form instead. When he tries to return to his giant dog form, he finds himself unable to and is informed by Tamazuki that this is because he has begun to fear his opponent. Having no further use to Tamazuki, he is killed and blows away as leaves. Anime On the night of Tamazuki and Rikuo's first encounter, Inugami infiltrates the Nura House and sends his head flying throughout the grounds, killing a Fish Yōkai in the process. Rikuo and his entourage chase down Inugami's head, which leads them to the gates to meet the executives of the Shikoku Hachijūhakki Yakō. Following Sodemogi-sama's defeat, he lures the Kiyojūji Paranormal Investigation Squad to an abandoned building with a message board post on Kiyotsugu's website. He then calls Rikuo, threatening to kill his friends if he doesn't come to the same abandoned building. When Rikuo does so, he faces Inugami but is ultimately saved by the timely arrival of his subordinates. Inugami, entwined in Kubinashi's strings as a disembodied head, rages over Rikuo fitting in with both yōkai and humans, and reverts to his dog form. After a short fight, Inugami flees and "night" Rikuo gives chase, eventually resuming their battle outside Ukiyoe Middle School. Inugami is beaten enough to return him to his human form, but before Rikuo's Hyakki Yakō can demand information from him, he is rescued by Tamazuki and the two disappear in a swirl of leaves. He then remains in a cellar, building up his hatred, until the final battle between Rikuo's forces and Tamazuki's, where he fights against Kubinashi. When Tamazuki slaughters his own forces to strengthen his own power, Inugami is among those killed. His disembodied head can be seen among the spirits absorbed by Maō's Hammer. Abilities Inugami possesses a power which grows in strength as his hatred toward humans increases. Conversely, it weakens drastically once his resentment turns to fear. When in dog form, his head and body appear able to act independently of each other. His tail is strong enough to send "night" Rikuo flying with a single flick. In the final battle, Inugami shows his strength as he massacre his enemy only with his head. Quotes * (about Tamazuki) "I can't think of him as an ally. If he had kept tormenting me like that and nothing had happened, he would have tossed me aside, thinking that was all there was to me. That's the type of guy he is. But I woke up. I do feel hatred, but I'm also grateful. That's why I'll follow him." Trivia * In the anime, he isn't killed by Tamazuki like in the manga and joined the final battle, but was absorbed by the Maō's Hammer. *He is the only one of the Seven Phantom Travelers never seen wearing the standard traveling outfit attributed to them. *There has been much speculation as to whether the dog which appears at the end of the Shikoku Arc is actually Inugami reincarnated. *He is a descendant of ancient practitioners of the Inugami ritual who were unsuccessful and taken over by the yōkai's spirit. *He ranked 25th in the first character popularity poll with 115 votes and 32nd (tied with Yosuzume) in the second with 110 votes. Category:Characters Category:Male Category:Yokai